Lespie



A. W. GILLESPIE.v

FORMER 0R SHOE FOR TUBE FORNHNG MACHlNES.

APPucATxGN F|Ln1uLY23,|915.

1,319,862. Patented oct. 28,1919.

.d f l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER W. GILLESPIE, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOCALUIVIET STEEL COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

FORMER -OR 'SHOE FOR TUBE-FORMINTG MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Application led July 23, 19.15. Serial No. 41,467.

T0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER YV. G IL-LESPIE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago Heights, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new andAuseful Improvement in Formers or Shoes for Tube-Forming Machines,- ofwhich the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to mechanism for forming metal tubes andhas more particular reference to certain features of construction of theshoe or formerv in a machine of the type 4of tube-forming machine orapparatus described in my earlier Patent No. 1,124,221 granted January5, 1915.

A principal object of this invention :is the provision of a former orslice, the parts of which will be firmly secured in operative relationthrough means so constructed and arranged as to prevent breaking oftheshoe or of :the means holding its parts together under substantially allworking .conditions and which at the same time may be readily removed orloosened to permit .disconnection of the parts of the shoe or tubeformeras occasion may require.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such structurewhich, while possessing the foregoing and other ,advantages, will belight in weight and require in its construction a minimum amount ofVmateria-l.

In the construction of metal tubes in the manner described in my earlierpatent to which reference has already been made, long pieces of flatstock or skelp are fed through rolls which give them a form tendingtoward the form of the finished tubes. This partially formed skelp thenenters the shoe. A decidedly important object of this invention is theprovision of means for permitting an imperfectly formed or defectivepiece of skelp to leave the rolls mentioned without entering the shoe,thereby eliminating or at least minimizing damage to the rolls or shoesthrough catching or jamming of the slrelp in passing from the rolls tothe shoe.

A further object of this invention is the provision of means foraccurately directing perfect stock or stock sufficiently perfect to beusable into the shoe or former from the rolls.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from .thefollowing description when .considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing illustrating a preferred 4embodiment thereof.

On the drawing,

Figure 1 is a partial section taken vertically through the former orslice;

-F ig. 2 is atop plan view of the same with the upper rolls removed; and

Fig. 3 is a front end view of the former or shoe with ythe rollsremoved.`

F or the purpose of illustrating my invention, I `have shown on thedrawing a single pair of forming-.rolls 4c .and 5, although it will ybemanifest that a ygreater number of ,rolls may be yused if desired. I

have also shown a single pair 6 of finislr.

ing rolls, .of which of course the same is true. Between these two pairsof rolls is positioned the Ytube former yor shoe in which my .presentinvention is embodied.

This former or shoe consists in the present instance of a lower orfemale part 7 Jand two upper lor 4male parts 18 and `9, kthe two parts.together forming what .may be termed the upper ,member or half 4of theshoe. When .in position vthey are arranged end to end with inclinedfaces 10 in contact. The .forwardendpf lthe -forward part 8 is beveledat 1'1 for engagement lbeneath the undercut face 12 of lugs 113 on the,forward end of the part 7. The lugs 13 extend up on each side 'andprovide stops against which :the upper half of the shoe is wedgedthrough means to be now described.

A pair of lugs 14 located one on each side and opposite the position ofthe part 9 of the upper half extend upwardly from the lower half or part7. As shown on the drawings, these lugs are each of triangular form andthey are provided with registering apertures 15 through which a key 16may be inserted above the part 9 and behind a suitably positionedshoulder or upwardly extending projection 17 on the part 9. The key 16is substantially of rectangular cross section, except that the narrowersides 18 are preferably rounded somewhat. The key tapers in width fromend to end as may be seen by viewing Fig. 2 and the aperture in one lugis of the same dimension as the aperture in the other, so that the topedge of the key is substantially horizontal when the machine is arrangedas shown in the drawing. The key is inserted in place and driven tightlyinto engagement with the part 9, thereby producing a binding engagementbetween the forward end of the part 8 and the lugs 18 and a secondbinding engagement between the contacting ends of the parts S and 9 ofthe upper half of the tube.

The lugs 13 are provided with alined recesses 19 for the reception ofoutwardly extending pivot studs 21 of a pivotally mounted stripper orguide 2:2, which, with a companion stripper or guide 23, serves todirect the skelp from the rolls 4 and 5 into the shoe. The stripper orguide 23 extends between the rolls and rests on the bottom roll at oneend. This lguide has a tongue 24: extending into a suitably formedrecess in the forward end of the part 7 The stripper or guide 22 extendsbetween the rolls also and coperates with the upper roll il. This lastmentioned guide is held in contact with its cooperating roll by a spring25 embracing an extended stem or arm 26 and secured at its ends to asuitable part of the former. The width of both guides or strippers issubstantially equal to or greater than the width of the pass between therolls, so that any tube skelp at all straight or usable which issuesfrom the rolls. will be directed accurately into the shoe. The forwardend of each gnide is relatively narrow or thin and is of shapesubstantially that of the operating face of the roll with which itcooperates.

The lower guide rests at its forward end upon the lower roll and theupper guide is loosely mounted through its pivot stud in the recesses19. Any misformed or twisted or defective slrelp coming from the rollsin such shape that it cannot enter the shoe or former will lift thestuds ont of the recesses 19 against the force of the spring 25 movingthe stripper or guide 22 upwardly and out of the way and pass forwardlyabove the shoe.

It will be manifest that all parts of the shoe are of simple and readilyconstructed form, utilizing a minimum amount of material consistent withthe required strength. lt may be mentioned, however, that thearrangement of the key 16 in the lugs 14 disposes the forces felt by itin a central plane extending parallel with its wider faces.

lt is thought that the invention and its attendant advantages will beunderstood from the foregoing without further description and it will bemanifest that various changes may be made in the form, construction and.arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention cr sacrificing any of its material advanH tages, the formhereinbefore disclosed being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

A former or shoe for a tube-forming maI chine, comprising a male andfemale member, and a yielding guide 'for directing skelp between saidmembers, said guide having op-y positely extending pivot lugs resting`in open top recesses of the male member, and yield ing means for holdingthe forward end of said guide elevated, the connection between thelguide and male member being` such that defective slrelp passing intothe former may lift the guide from the male member and permit the skelpto pass out of the former.

Signed in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. Y

ALEXANDER lV. GILLESPIE.

Witnesses J. C. CARPENTER, Es'rrnin ABRAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

